Jurisdiction and research scope
Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania only. Screens selected Article VIII street restrictions for noncommercial RVs, auxiliary-equipment/line restrictions and the Township-permission prerequisite for living use. This is not a residential storage or general street-parking approval. Excludes commercial units, permanent storage, special approvals other than the identified living-permission question, zoning exceptions and nonconforming claims.
Administrative screening of the cited local provisions only. Not a permit, legal opinion, safety assurance or complete land-use approval.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Bern Township RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway | General residential storage not evaluated. |
| Yard | Permanent storage requires separate zoning compliance and additional §170-59(C) conditions. |
| Street | Selected districts: over 14,000 lb or 80 in prohibited except qualifying loading, maximum 12 hours and immediate removal; obstruction separately restricted. |
| Guest | Living requires Township permission for an applicable exception; issued terms remain unresolved. |
Over 14,000 pounds or over 80 inches on specified district streets
Section 170-57 prohibits standing or parking a motorized or nonmotorized vehicle exceeding 14,000 pounds gross weight or 80 inches width on streets in RR, SR, UR, OR, AB and IR zoning districts. The thresholds are strictly “in excess”: exactly 14,000 pounds or 80 inches does not alone trigger this clause. It still does not establish permission to park.
The exception is temporary loading/unloading of the specified materials, goods, refuse/recycling or other property used with a residence or building. Removal is required immediately when finished, and 12 hours is the absolute maximum, not a blanket parking allowance. Commercial nonmotorized units face a further building-work/50-foot condition and are excluded from this noncommercial screen.
Traffic visibility and lines across public ways
Section 170-58 prohibits an RV on a street, alley or cartway from impeding traffic or obstructing intersection views or the proper sight triangle, except during the action of loading or unloading. This exception is not treated as general permission to obstruct traffic; such loading cases are referred for review.
Section 170-59(A) prohibits cords, hoses and lines associated with RV usage across a public sidewalk, street, alley or cartway, except for routine maintenance or loading/unloading. A claimed exception remains unresolved in this checker. No public-way utility setup or temporary line installation is approved.
No auxiliary equipment from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Section 170-59(B) prohibits operating RV auxiliary equipment, such as generators, air compressors, air conditioners and similar equipment, between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Check whether any part of the planned operation falls in that window, including overnight operation.
A reported daytime operation may avoid this particular time prohibition but does not approve noise, emissions, electrical work, parking or the underlying site use. The separate public-way line restriction remains relevant, and a storage result cannot be inferred from an equipment result.
Living requires Township permission; storage needs a separate zoning decision
Section 170-59(D) prohibits an RV from being occupied for living purposes unless the Township permits it in connection with a special event, large gathering or another permitted exception. A request goes to the Township Manager, with an appeal route to the Board of Supervisors. An application or a claim of permission is not a decision that the exact stay meets every approval condition.
Permanent parking/storage is separately addressed in subsection C. Its unoccupied private-property route requires strict zoning compliance, restricts front-yard storage when adequate rear access/storage exists and prohibits sidewalk encroachment. Those conditions are not replaced by this traffic/equipment screen; general homeowner storage remains outside its scope.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask the municipality to confirm the exact jurisdiction, vehicle classification, parcel and proposal. This research packet does not issue an approval.
Use the Bern Township parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed November 7, 2026
- Vehicles and Traffic Article VIII, §§170-56–170-60
Complete definition, street threshold/loading clauses, traffic obstruction, lines, auxiliary-equipment, permanent-storage and living-permission provisions captured.
- Current Township code
Index reports legislation through September 1, 2026.
- Posted new laws
Retrieved list reports no known new laws for this code.
A review date records when we checked these sources. The notes above explain any use of older code editions or limits on access to the full source; an address-specific local-government determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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